Fredric Jameson

Routledge Critical Thinkers

by Adam Roberts

An invaluable introduction to the life and work of one of today's most important cultural critics. Studied on most undergraduate literary and cultural studies courses, Fredric Jameson's writing targets subjects from architecture to science fiction, cinema to global capitalism. Of his works, The Political Unconscious remains one of the most widely cited Marxist literary-theoretical texts, and 'Postmodernism, or the cultural logic of late capitalism', is amongst the most influential statements on the nature of post-modernity ever published. Adam Roberts offers an `ngaging introduction to this crucial figure, which will convince any student of contemporary theory that Jameson must be read.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theory, Reference

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Adam Roberts (born 1965) is an academic, critic and novelist. He also writes parodies under the pseudonyms of A.R.R.R. Roberts, A3R Roberts and Don Brine. He also blogs at The Valve, a group blog devoted to literature and cultural studies.

He has a degree in English from the University of Aberdeen and a PhD from Cambridge University on Robert Browning and the Classics. He teaches English literature and creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. Adam Roberts has been nominated twice for the Arthur C. Clarke Award: in 2001, for his debut novel, Salt, and in 2007, for Gradisil.

Reviews

[Maddie Heidari · Rating 3 out of 5]

A proper introduction to Jameson himself, his views as a Marxist critic, and the features he attributes to postmodernism.

[GJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m glad this book exists, but Jameson deserves a better introduction for a general audience. I feel like I got some of what I wanted: enough of a big picture that I could read selections from Jameson on my own and be oriented to his overall project. But this book doesn’t at all convey a sense for why Jameson is seen as a giant of US literary studies in our time. This author of this book didn’t seem to have much background in Marx and, even to me, also no expert, it shows.

[Tom L · Rating 3 out of 5]

did not find this introduction to jameson very helpful. in some places, it even seemed to get jameson wrong

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jameson for babies (not nec. a bad thing...); you could read it in a day. I just recommended it to a friend...

Book is centered around explaining the impact of Political Unconscious (1981) and Postmodermism essay (1984). First few chapters on relevant Marxian thinkers and the ideas Jameson appropriates: Marx himself (base; superstructure; production; praxis), Lukacs (totality; reification), Adorno (commodification; negative dialectics; late capitalism), Althusser (semiautonomy of 'culture'; ideology). Next chapter on relevant Freudian/Lacanian ideas ("unconscious," "return of repressed"; "Imaginary/Symbolic/Real") and Jamesonian adaptations. One chapter on PU; a second on modernism (work on Wyndham Lewis, Conrad in PU); a third on Postmodernism (w/ definitional assays by Hassan, Lyotard, Habermas explained); a fourth on cinema.

[Pejman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Roberts is an ALthuserian Marxist but his review on Fredric Jameson's work as one of the most important post-modern marxists helps us to percept his complex approaches on Marxism, post-modernism and literature.

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dumbed down to the point of just being dumb would be a compliment, but Roberts' summaries of Lukacs, Althusser, Adorno, and Marx are remarkably incorrect, thus one shouldn't trust his summary of Jameson which relies on these previous summaries.

[Aran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear and accessible - an exemplar of how intimidating a work on literary theory needn't be. As such it runs the risk of spoonfeeding, but that's fine! Such a work as this serves to *facilitate* a direct reading of the work of the critic it summarises, not to *replace* it.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was aight.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to Jameson. Lucin and concise.

[Alysson Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very ellucidating for those who are studying Jameson's work.